Beach Trip!!!

We had an AWESOME beach trip.  The kids were at such a great age this year to really enjoy just hanging out on the beach.  This picture kind of epitomizes our beach adventure.  Tyler really loved playing in the sand and was content to spend all of his time playing pretend with his sand toys and building sandcastles.  He told me that he wanted to move to the beach and live there all the time, but he did say that he wanted So-So and Ray-Ray to move there too (he realizes that Grandma and PaPa already live there since we luckily got to visit with them both), and his school and his teacher Miss Abbey!  Katie was all about the water and kept us busy begging to get in the "wave water" constantly. 

They both really loved "crab hunting."  Their teacher said that they talked about it constantly today at school.  We were able to really do some nighttime beach time with flashlights on Thursday when they took a really good nap.  We tried again on Saturday but a pretty bad storm came up right when we went down to the beach, and both of the kids were scared of the wind and Lance and I went in as soon as we saw the first bolt of lightning.  All in all we had pretty good weather - with rain only at night and Friday afternoon, but that storm was pretty scary especially since we almost got stuck in the elevator due to wind preventing the door from fully closing!

We only made it out to dinner as a family one night.  My mom kept the kids our first night down there (big thank you due for that) and Lance and I had a fabulous "date" to Whiskey Bravo and Red Bar.  When the kids actually took a nap they weren't completely exhausted and were great at dinner at the Shrimp Shack in Seaside (home of the expensive but fabulous lobster rolls).  They were so excited about looking for crabs and using their flashlights after dinner that they didn't even remember the promise of ice cream.  They were really great pretty much the whole trip, and even on the way down for the loooong drive.  It was wonderful to spend some quality time with the kids right now because their behavior has been frustrating lately and we were definitely reminded during this trip how lucky we are to have such awesome, funny, smart, just plain fun to be around kids!   

We had such a great time and all of us were really sad to come home and to realize that we have another year before we can probably make it back.  The kids keep talking about going to Disney World and we really do want to try to make it there sometime very soon, but there is no doubt that beach fun gives Mickey a run for his money!

Obsessions

The kids are giving everything they enjoy 100% these days, really bordering on obsessiveness!  They insist on dressing themselves, regardless of what combination of outfits they come up with and even if it means wearing the same thing over and over as soon as it is clean again. 

Katie is all about "watch me" and is imitating the gymnasts that she saw on the Olympics constantly. This is just one of the things she made a balance beam today!

She is also pretty enamored with drums, instruments of all kinds really, but especially drums and has asked for them for her birthday - eeek! 

Tyler is asking for car tracks and cars, of course!  He has been even more Mr. Independent these days wanting to do everything himself and seemingly afraid of nothing. 

Katie is definitely still into swinging and seems to have a radar for finding them wherever we go - like at this treehouse (we went to Cheekwood today to see the really cool treehouses)! I think we are going to have to get a swingset sooner than later!

Tyler is just so matter of fact and cracks people up with the things he talks about.  For instance, he took this picture (!) and proceeded to give those standing around us an elaborate explanation of how this wasn't his camera, but that he could take pictures with it until he got his own, "probably for his birthday" because he's "been good and listening to my mom" - more conversation than I think the people wanted who just commented that he was a good little photographer!

He really loved the treehouses!  The fish was his favorite, but this conch shell was a close second!

We had a good time this weekend and Lance and I even managed to make it out for an Anniversary dinner thanks to a friend's daughter who watched the kids for us.  Now we have to pack since we are leaving for the beach  on Tuesday - yeah!!!

Start 'Em Young

Anyone who knows Lance, realizes that he is obsessed with sports and all things Vanderbilt.  So, it is no surprise that he is already working on making the kids lifelong fans.  On Sunday we went out to "Dore Jam" and got to introduce the kids to Coach Franklin.

Tyler was having a ball asking everyone "Who you with?" at which point he could show off that he could make the VU symbol with his hands and chant.  Katie was just disappointed that the line was too long for the popcorn and snocones!  They really do love going to all of the Vandy activities though, and Vanderbilt is doing a great job trying to get families and kids involved.

We also went to the Williamson County Fair on Saturday before the kids went to a classmate's birthday party, and they thought that was, in their words, "awesome!"  They rode a roller coaster for the first time and proclaimed that they wanted to ride a lot more of those.  They did a couple of other rides, enjoyed a music presentation for kids where they even went on stage with a pretend guitar and microphone, saw some animals, got to sit on a real police motorcycle, and met Spiderman!  They definitely didn't want to leave, but we got a ride back to our car from the county mayor in his "gator" and Tyler exclaimed that it was his "first ever ride in a jeep" so that made it better.

The birthday party was a lot of fun for them, too, since they got to see all of their classmates outside of school.  They are the oldest in their class and most of the children were on the early end of 3 (birthday boy just turned 3), and it was kind of strange to see how different they look just with a few months on the other kids - they are starting to look like big kids instead of toddlers now in comparison (sniff, sniff).  They are staying in that classroom because they have two years until school and the Pre-K room moves directly to Kindergarten, but Tyler sure is upset about that.  Everyday he tells me stories of what the kids in the Pre-K room did - he definitely has older kid envy, but also loves his classroom full of boys (only 5 girls)!  The birthday party made me feel kind of guilty that we aren't doing a party since I know they would love it, but Labor Day weekend and lots going on in these weeks before should be just fine for them as long as cake is involved.  I kind of fear that we may have to do a pizza party too.  For some reason Tyler has it in his head that he loves pizza parties (I think a little boy in his class got one when he successfully potty trained for a week) and has declared that if he stays dry for 7 days at night that is his reward.  He is working hard on it and if it works I would love to get them out of pull-ups at night time!

No big plans for this weekend, although it is our anniversary (11 years - hard to believe).  Next week we are off to the beach - so excited!  I have a feeling I am going to need this vacation to look back on since I have forgotten the stress of the work/football season/managing kids combo that is fast approaching.  Work gets busy for me in the Fall, we will try to go to the Vandy games but have sitter issues and still don't think the kids are old enough to go to most of the games (we are going to try one of the first ones that is early in the day, though), the kids really want to go back to Tumbling Tots and we are still considering soccer (not doing dance for Katie this Fall), and Lance goes to Titans games on Sundays (and has to work when he isn't there).   My sister and her husband are coming up late September for a Titans game (or Lions game if you are talking to them) and I am hoping that is one I can actually make it to if we can find someone to watch the kids.  The sitter service did work out great, but it is just way too expensive to be a regular thing so we have a couple of months to try to make friends with some teenagers/college kids that like to babysit :)!  We will even pay them the $12 an hour (ugh) that is the going rate, but would like to avoid the each time placement fee and time minimum that are a part of the sitter service!  I actually really enjoy Fall in Tennessee, but I just get a little worked up trying to coordinate, plan and schedule everything, and frustrated that if anyone has to get left out it is me (life of a mom, I guess).  Maybe it stresses me, too, because I occasionally (or depending on what is going on in our lives - often) mention a desire to move back to Florida and I know that football season and sports opportunities here are a big reason why that will never happen!

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest niece!  As tends to happen, it is looking like she will be here about when we leave for Florida so we will miss her grand entrance, but will get to see her and her beautiful new nursery when we get back!  We can't wait - Tyler was standing behind a little girl in line at the Dore Jam bouncy house named Madeline and he told her that he was about to have a baby cousin named Madeline too!

Assembly Challenged

I am searching for gifts for T & K for their birthday coming up soon and when trying to make a decision between two car tracks that I know Tyler would love, I realized that we are completely pathetic in the parenting department when it comes to reading and interpreting toy directions!  We had a track in our garage that was "hidden" there because it had a piece missing and couldn't be fully put together (I forgot that when Tyler begged me to get it out last night).  I, and then Lance, got so frustrated at trying to follow the instructions to assemble it that we finally convinced the kids that the way it ended up (not put together correctly) was the way it was supposed to be.  I didn't realize just how much "toy assembly" fear I had until I was searching for a new track for them to share as a birthday gift and found myself leaning toward choosing the car track that needs the least assembly, compared to one that looks impossible! They are still in their car phase (sure to be over as soon as I buy a new set for them, though) and when we went fishing the little boy out there was playing with a pretty cool car track that I found on Amazon (his mom had picked hers up at Goodwill and I don't think we will get as lucky to find that there). It has interlocking, easy to put together pieces that can make a track in pretty much any design (unlike the tracks we have now that have to be put together in some very complicated way and then when we inevitably lose a piece don't work at all) and uses battery operated cars.  However, they are also very in to pretend play and still love their parking garage so I initially was looking for a car track "city."  Katie, especially, would love that - their cars (and bikes when they ride them, too) are always getting gas, or going to pick up their kids, or going to Publix!  I think I have convinced myself that they can play pretend city pretty well with what they've got and that the iPlay track will be a better option, but I am not positive that I am making that decision without thinking about how daunting the city would be to put together :)!

The Hungry Hippos board game is a big hit, and Tyler still wants to play it any chance he gets.  Lance and I have very differing views on board games - I love them and he doesn't - so he doesn't think they are good gifts.  I, on the otherhand, think it is a great benefit of having a twin brother/sister that you can play games together and both of you are at the same level!  Most of the games for younger children still require reading, but there are a couple that I know they would like (Don't Break the Ice/Fishing) that I may get them and sneak in as gifts for their birthday, or maybe even to take with us on vacation in case of rain :).  Speaking of reading, I am still the "bad guy" when I pick the kids up "too early" from school.  They love it and are usually having too much fun to want to leave.  The other day the kids were all taking turns "reading" to the class or telling stories when I came in and I let Tyler have his turn before we left.  He picked up his chosen book and was "reading" it to everyone.  He was so cute trying to hold it like a teacher so everyone could see, but still pretend like he was reading the words.  He seemed to be pretty spot on with the pictures and what he was saying and when he was done the teacher commented that he has "a truly amazing memory."  It is pretty crazy to see and hear him remember the words and when to turn the pages so well that you could actually think he is reading.  It is also pretty crazy to realize that they really do need to learn to read soon since it is pretty much expected that they know how by Kindergarten these days!  I guess it is a good thing that they won't start Kindergarten until they are 6, since I think actual reading is pretty far off although they are both getting better at sounding out words.  The other day when we were in the parking lot Tyler was sounding out the store we were at - with the exception of "Dick's" having the c and k (kuh) sound twice when you say it all together and goods becoming "gods" - they got all the sounds right and were able to put it together!  If you ask them how to spell something though, watch out, Katie has been known to tell you that you spell CAT - CZYTMPLFV - and then break out in a song about that being how you spell it :-)!

Hopefully, our broken air conditioner is being fixed today and we will have a a cool escape from the hot day we plan to spend at the Williamson County Fair on Saturday!  We are also going to a birthday party for a preschool friend of theirs - so a fun-filled weekend ahead!